Sleepy Snowy Owl

 

Got another lifer. The winter of 2024/2025 is turning out to be the year of the owl. This is a Snowy Owl, which I found by consulting Ebird, with a stake out set up at a park in Romeoville, just a half hour from home. The owl sat for a solid hour on top of a picnic patio roof not far from the parking lot. I wanted to get a flying shot but I was losing light and feelings in both my hands and feet...LOL. This shot is super zoomed in, making it look like we were close to the bird. Not the case at all. We stayed quite a ways away and the owl didn't seem to care, sleeping most of the time. I was at least 50 yards away, maybe more, with about 20 other birders. 

Frozen North

 

I didn't just go up north to the Sax-Zim bog just for birds. I figured I would get some amazing early morning shots and boy, did that pay off. Got a night of dew that froze to the trees and ground in an amazing display of winter cold. It was cold but it was a beautiful cold. 

First Bird of the Year

 

Last year I started out the year with a Cooper's Hawk on the fence and I finished their year at the Sax-Zim Bog with the amazing Great Gray Owl. Nice bookends for 2024. This year, my first first shot turns out to be a Great Horned Owl. I went out looking for short-eared owls, which are lifers for me and are supposed to be hanging around the model airplane field at Naperville Prairie near sunset. No luck on the short-eared (on this trip), but got a nice view of this beautiful Great Horned Owl. So that was fun and I look forward to another lucky year of birding. 

WInter is Here (or at least in Duluth)

 

Got up with the sun to get to the Sax-Zim Bog last weekend before the birds started moving around. As a result, got to see a world of frozen dew. Quite spectacular, I think.  Was lucky enough to get 4 new lifers (a Black-backed Woodpecker, Ruffed Grouse, White-winged Crossbill and the amazing Great Gray Owl). Long ride to about an hour north of Duluth, but a great trip. 

What a way to start and finish!!!

 

What a way to start and finish the year! Started the year with a Cooper's Hawk on the backyard fence on January 1st. Finished this week with a lifer, Great Gray Owl in the Sax-Sim Bog near Duluth, Minnesota. Really turned up the birding data this year. I took over 5,700 bird photos. I recorded 264 bird species on Ebird, pushing my life list to 362 birds. Traveled all over the country for work and took down time to bird around the country. Love the last shot of the year as I didn't think I would get the Great Gray Owl and actually came up on it as I was leaving for the long drive home from Duluth. Great year of birding for sure!!!

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

 

The tradition continues. 

Poking through the clouds

 

This is a cell phone shot from earlier this year but I always wanted one of those "buildings poking through the Chicago clouds shot", but I only got the one building, the John Hancock. That's fine. It still is a cool shot. The Hancock building is now called by its address, but Chicagoans will keep using the old name. Heading for a landing at Ohare is always interesting when the clouds are so low. We made it, no problem, or I wouldn't be posting this shot. :) Fun capture.